It is known from WO 01/54450 in the name New Transducers Limited to provide an electromechanical force transducer comprising a resonant element having a frequency distribution of modes in the operative frequency range of the transducer. The parameters of the resonant element may be selected to enhance the distribution of modes in the element in the operative frequency range. The transducer may thus be considered to be an intendedly modal transducer.
The transducer may be coupled to a site to which force is to be applied by coupling means which may be attached to the resonant element at a position which is beneficial for coupling modal activity of the resonant element to the site. Thus for example as shown in FIG. 1, the transducer 132 may comprise a resonant element in the form of a beam which is coupled to a panel 134 by two coupling means 136 in the form of stubs. One stub is located towards an end 138 of the beam and the other towards the centre of the beam. The opposite end 140 is not supported and is thus free to move.